Only 3% of Mecklenburg County residents have received the new COVID booster. Here’s why
Mecklenburg County data show uptake for the new COVID-19 bivalent boosters has been low.
As of Oct. 1, 31,244 omicron-specific booster doses had been administered, a spokesperson for the Mecklenburg County Health Department told The Charlotte Observer.
That number represents just 3% of the county’s population.
Uptake for updated boosters from Pfizer and Moderna has also been low nationally, with 11.4 million people, or roughly 5.4% of the eligible population in the U.S., receiving the shots, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What’s causing the low booster rate?
Low booster uptake could be due to a lack of awareness of booster eligibility due to evolving criteria for different groups, the health department officials explained.
“We have seen rapid growth in uptake in the bivalent boosters from the first couple weeks when supply was lowest, coinciding with increased outreach from public health, pharmacies, and healthcare providers/systems,” the spokesperson said.
Pfizer’s bivalent booster is currently authorized for those 12 and older, and Moderna’s has been approved for use in those 18 and older, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Both are reported to be effective against the omicron variant.
Vaccine rates could also be attributed to individuals opting not to receive boosters due to recent infections, the spokesperson said. People who have had recent COVID-19 infections can consider delaying their boosters by three months from the time they experienced symptoms, according to the CDC.
RELATED: Atrium Health has COVID-19 bivalent boosters. Where to get vaccinated in Charlotte.
Mecklenburg County COVID-19 trends
Mecklenburg County is currently experiencing low exposure levels for COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention community levels transmission map.
From Sept. 28-Oct. 6, there were 1,227 confirmed cases reported in Mecklenburg County, according to data from the CDC. That’s a 16% decrease from the previous week. There were also 19 deaths reported during that period.
Levels can be low, medium, or high, and are determined by factors like hospital bed capacity, COVID hospital admissions, and new cases in an area.
RELATED: Here are the latest numbers on COVID-19 cases, deaths in Charlotte and across NC
This story was originally published October 12, 2022 at 9:50 AM.
